This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

An ambitious £15 billion plan to triple levels of spending by the end of the decade to increase the capacity and condition of England’s roads, was announced to Parliament today (1 December 2014) by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.

London and the south east of England will benefit from 18 new schemes worth around £1.4 billion creating an estimated 900 construction jobs.

Patrick McLoughlin said:

Today I am setting out the biggest, boldest and most far-reaching roads programme for decades. It will dramatically improve the network and unlock Britain’s economic potential.

Roads are key to our nation’s prosperity. For too long they have suffered from under-investment.

This government has a long-term plan to secure the country’s future and this £15 billion roads programme is a demonstration of that. It will directly benefit hardworking families across London and the south east.

This is the biggest investment in roads in a generation and will update major corridors in and around London and the south east, including the M25, A27 and A34.

A radical overhaul began in 2010 with the following major improvements in the area:

an upgrade to the M25 to create 4 lanes throughout by the end of 2014

the newly widened A23 which has opened south of Crawley

dualling of the Tonbridge bypass which is expected to begin next year

Spending during the next parliament on the local and national roads network across London and the south east will be boosted further by maintenance funding worth £1.9 billion.

Chair of the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said:

World class infrastructure is vital if we are to build a stronger economy, but it matters in other ways too. It invigorates communities and gives people more opportunities to get on in life. This is why I have ensured that this government has prioritised funding roads, and railways, at a high level for future generations.

For decades our roads have suffered from under investment, so I’m particularly delighted to be able to announce this expansive range of new road schemes today. Investment on this scale is only possible because we have taken the difficult decisions needed to control our public finances and stuck to our recovery plan which is now delivering strong growth and record numbers of jobs.

These projects, like the scheme on the A27 around Arundel, will help unleash the economic potential of both the regions they serve and of the overall economy.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said:

I promised when I was in the south east that we would address this area’s economic needs for the future.

Our Long term-economic plan means today we can invest £1.4 billion into the region’s infrastructure to improve, repair and expand our roads.

Our plans will transform some of the country’s most important strategic routes, such as our ambitious projects to improve the M25 and A27, and spending on important local infrastructure will boost productivity and help the local economy of the south east.

For years our roads have been neglected. Now that this government is fixing the economy, we can afford to invest properly in our roads – unlocking jobs and local growth by creating a road network that is fit for the 21st century.

Highlights of today’s announcement are:

improvements will be made to around 10 of the 31 junctions on the M25, including

expanding junction 30 to improve access to the new London Gateway port

a major rebuilding of junction 10, improving the least-safe junction on the motorway network

significant capacity enhancements between junctions 10 and 16 on the main carriageway, with new smart motorway technology to improve capacity and ease congestion

a strategic study to look at long-term answers to conditions on the south-west quadrant of the M25, that can make the route effective for a generation to come

investing around £350 million to transform the A27, with a new bypass at Arundel to complete the ‘missing link’, plus further improvements around Worthing, Lancing and Lewes - this will help the A27 link together as a single route, supporting the development of the local economy and removing notorious congestion hotspots

better access to ports, through

enhanced junctions on the A20 in Dover, for better access to the port and supporting new homes and jobs

improvements to the M271 Redbridge junction, required to get to Southampton docks

the A34, the main route from the Midlands to Southampton, will see investment of £30 million to ensure a crucial freight link and enhanced junctions will improve journeys around Oxford and Winchester

the A31 at Ringwood will be widened to help local traffic crossing the Avon and substantially improving safety

a new feasibility study will look at creating an expressway link between Oxford and Cambridge via Milton Keynes, fixing a long-standing gap in the network and bringing new capacity to support the growth of Bicester

A21: Tonbridge to Pembury: dualling of the A21 between Tonbridge and Pembury, linking existing high quality dual carriageway north of Tonbridge with existing dual carriageway to the south and providing a grade separated junction at Longfield Road.

M25: junction 10 (A3 Wisley): improvement of the interchange to allow free-flowing movement in all directions, together with improvements to the neighbouring Painshill interchange on the A3 to improve safety and reduce congestion.

Autumn Statement 2014

M3 junction 9 improvement

M3: junction 9 (A34): comprehensive package of improvements, to include new links and widening and remodelling of junction 9 to allow more free-flowing connections and reduce congestion.

Autumn Statement 2014

M3 junction 10 to 11 improved sliproads

M3 junction 10 to junction 11 (Winchester south): improvements for merging traffic to include technology, widening and lane realignment to smooth flow of traffic onto the M3 and assist flow to Southampton port.

A20: Access to Dover: local improvements to improve access to the Port of Dover from the M20; includes redesigning 2 junctions to provide free flow journeys for lorries resulting in improvements to safety and air quality.

(Developer funded)

M27 junction 10

Developer-funded improvements to M27 J10, providing access both east and west in place of the current junction layout. Helps significant housing growth around Fareham.

(Developer funded)

Lower Thames Crossing

Examination of options for an additional crossing at or below the Dartford Crossing.

2009

A3 Guildford

Widening of existing A3 through Guildford to the Hogs Back (A31) junction, with improvements to junction safety.

Autumn Statement 2014

M25 junctions 5-6/7

Introduction of smart motorways along the southern section of the M25. Scheme opened in 2014.

2010 - completed

M25 junctions 23-27

Introduction of smart motorways along the northern section of the M25. Scheme opened in 2014.

2010 - completed

A23 Handcross to Warninglid

Widening of the A23 south of Crawley to 3 lanes. Scheme opened in 2014.

2010 - completed

Oxford to Cambridge expressway

Study of the potential to link Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge, making use of existing roads where possible and considering the case for filling missing links.

Autumn Statement 2014

M25 south-west quadrant

Study of long-term options for improving conditions on the south west section of the M25.

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